Belt supporting device



April 3, 1962 G. coTEY 3,028,013

BELT SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed March 28, 1960 33 Y Gus Cotey.

April 3, 1962 G. coTEY 3,028,013

BELT SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed March 28, 19Go s sheets-sheet 2 if# |/4 F u l5. i

INVENTOR. I4 @Us ('oey' /4 BY .5/ /6 /0/ after/2.9

April 3, 1962 G. COTEY BELT SUPPORTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28, 1960 3 3 INVENToR.

United States Patent Oiice 3,628,013 Patented pr. 3, 1962 3,028,013 BELT SUPPORTING DEVICE Gus Cotey, Camden, NJ., assigner to Pioneer Industries, Inc., Darby, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 17,826 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-13) The present invention relates to a new and useful beltsupporting device which can be used as a belt display holder for displaying belts in a retail establishment and which can be converted into a belt and necktie rack for use onA a wall or on the inside of the door of a wardrobe closet.

An object of the present invention is, a dual purpose device which may be used to support a single belt in a buckled condition and held taut, and by which the so displayed belt may be suspended in a retail establishment to permit the customer readily to examine the belt and to select the one he wants, and which device he can then convert for the aforementioned wardrobe use.

`Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts.

FIGURE 1 represents a front elevational View of a device representing one embodiment of my invention,A disposed vertically as it may be used in a store (but with the belt mounted thereon as in FIGURES 2 and 3).

FIGURE 2 represents a front elevational view of the device with the belt mounted thereon and shown suspended from a hook which can be the hook of any display stand or the like.

FIGURE 3 represents a side elevational view of the device and the belt mounted thereon, shown in FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 represents a fragmentary perspective view of the device with the wardrobe hooks or arms (27) in their original condition as the device would be used for store display.

FIGURE 5 represents a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the device shown in FIGURE 1, with the belt and necktie supporting wardrobe hooks or arms (27) thereof bent out, into the wardrobe-use position.

FIGURE 6 represents a perspective view of the device shown in FIGURES 1 to 5, inclusive, as mounted on the inside of the door of a wardrobe closet or the like, for wardrobe use, with some belts and neckties hung on the arms (27) thereof.

FIGURE 7 represents a front elevational view of a fragmentary portion of a modified embodiment of a device of the present invention.

FIGURE 8 represents the cross-sectional view on line 8 8 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 represents a front elevational View of a belt display and wardrobe device similar to that shown in FIGURES l to 6, inclusive, but representingr a modified embodiment of my present invention.

FIGURE 10 represents a front elevational view of the same, with a belt mounted thereon, as used for displaying a belt in a store or point-of-sale.

FIGURE 11 representsia side elevational view of the device and the belt thereon in its display position.

FIGURE l2 represents a perspective view of a fragmentary intermediate portion of the device shown in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 13 represents a cross-sectional view on line 13-13 of FIGURE 9, shown on a somewhat enlarged scale.

FIGURE 14 represents a cross-sectional View on line 14-14 of FIGURE 9, on a somewhat enlarged scale.

FIGURE '15 represents a cross-sectional view on line 15-15 of FIGURE 9, on a somewhat enlarged scale.

FIGURE d6 represents a cross-sectional view on line 16--16 of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 17 represents a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 1'6, but on an enlargedscale.

FIGURE 18 represents `a cross-sectional view on line 18-18 of FIGURE 17.

FIGURE 19 represents a top plan view of the device shown in FIGURES `9 to 18, in its wardrobe use or condition, mounted on the inside of the doory of a wardrobe closet, with the left-hand portion shown in horizontal cross-section through the center of the screw-holes.

FIGURE 20 represents a perspective view of the same device in its wardrobe use.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the main body 10 of my device is preferably formed of suitable sheet metal such as aluminum, brass, etc., having suicient ductility to permit portions thereof to be bent by the ultimate user so as to convert the device from a store display-device as shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, to a wardrobe accessory as indicated in FIGURES 5 and 6.

The main body 10 has a central web 11 and a pair of side flanges 12 and 13, Vtogether forming a channelshaped cross-section. From the ends of the central web 11, curved members 14 and 15 are extended, which may have a width less than the width of the central web 11, as indicated in FIGURES l and 6. These members 14 and 15 are folded or bent rearwardly along a curve of suitable radius to form belt-loop seats 16 and 17, indicated particularly in FIGURE 3, around which the folds 18 and 19 of the belt 20 may be extended as indicated in FIGURES 3 and 2, with the free end 21 and the buckle 22 of the belt along the front of the central web 11 as indicated particularly in FIGURE 3.

By buckling the free end 21 of the belt 20 into the buckle 22, through the tongue-receiving hole in the belt, the belt will tighten against the two seats 16 'and 17 of the device, thus being firmly retained on the device in the manner indicated in FIGURES 3 and 2. The radius of the curvature of the members 14 and 15 is made sutliciently large, and the metal or other material of which the device is formed is made sufciently resilient so that the members 14 and 15 may yield by bending further backward when the belt is tightened thereover until the tongue of the buckle can engage one of the tonguereceiving holes of the belt which will retain the so mounted belt taut on the device.

From one end of either flange 12 or ange 13, a suspension-band 23 is extended and folded over into an eyelet-like formation, with the free end thereof either abutting the corresponding end of the opposed flange or soldered, welded or otherwise secured thereto. The eyelet or suspension loop 23 serves to permit the vertical suspension of the device from any suitable arm or hook 24 on a counter display or other store display rack or the like, whereby the belt, so mounted, may be displayed in a store.

Generally U-shaped portions 25 of the central web 11 are cut out by stampi-ng them out on a punch press or the like, spaced from cach other so `as to leave intervening web portions 26 of suitable width between the free ends of one U cut-out and the base portion of lthe nex-t U- shaped cut out as indicated in FIGURES 1, 4 and 7. By means of these cut-outs (or by any suitable means) a successive series of arms 27 are formed in Vthe central web 11 of the device, which arms extend from and are permanently connected with the intervening web portions 216 and which arms lie in the plane of the central web 11, in the ioriginal condition of the device and while the device is used for displaying -a single belt in a retail store as indicated in FIGURES 2 and 3, and also in FIG- URES 1, 4 and 7.

The U-shaped cut-outs 25 may also be so shaped as to provide a small terminal abutment or hook-like portion 28 at the end of each arm 27 as indicated in FIGURES 1, 4, 6 and 7, for keeping the belt or necktie hung on the device (in its wardrobe condition as shown in FIGURE 6) from sliding olf the free end of the arm.

Holes 29 are provided in the rearward portions or terminal portions of the members 14 and 15, through which mounting screws 30 may be extended and threadedly extended into any Wall or door for mounting the device for wardrobe use as indicated in FIGURE 6; holes 29 being sufficiently smaller than the heads of the screws 31B. Access holes 31 of a size slightly greater than the head of the screw 30 are provided in the `frontmost portions of the members 14 and 15 or -in the ends of the central web 11 through which holes 31, a screwdriver may be extended to engage the head of the screw 30.

In mounting the device as indicated in FIGURE 6, the members 14 and 15 may be bent out just sufciently to bring the holes 29 Aand 31 generally into alignment or registration with each other (even though they may be out of registration with `each other in the store use as indicated in FIGURE 3).

After removing the belt 2l) from the device, the purchaser or ultimate user may remove thefsuspension-loop 23 therefrom either by breaking it ofi or cutting it ol with a pair of scissors or any other suitable manner, so that lin the wardrobe use of the device indic-ated in FIGURE 6, the device no longer has the suspension loop 23 thereon. However, the loop 23 may be left on the device even for its wardrobe use as it will not interfere with such wardrobe use, although such loop 23 no longer functions `as suspension means when the device is used as a wardrobe accessory.

The purchaser or ultimate =user need then only bend out the arms 27 to their positions more or less at a right angle to the central web 11 of the device in the manner indicated in FIGURES and 6, and then mount the device by means of the screws 30 4in the manner `above indicated and as shown in FIGURE 6. This bending of the arms 26 will take place along fold-lines 32. When the arms 27 have been so folded out or bent out and the device mounted on a wall or the door of a wardrobe closet or the like, belts (20) as well as neckties (33) as well as other articles (such as Suspenders and grooming accessories) may be hung on the arms 27 in an orderly fashion and in a manner which will permit a ready view and selection thereof.

Better to `accommodate belts of diterent widths upon the same display device in its store-display use, I may form the central web 11 thereof in two or more steps as indicated in FIGURES 7 Vand 8, namely, the outermost steps 34, the intermediate step-s 35 and the innermost step 36. The outermost portions 34 serve to support a belt of maximum width, while the intermediate stepped portions 35 serve to support a belt of a width less than the dis-tance between the inner edges of the portions 34 but of a width greater than the distance between the inner edges of the portion 35, while the innermost portion 36 serves to support a belt of a width less than the distance between the inner edges of the portions 35. Each of the steps 34, 35 and 36 may support belts of several widths, providing only that the edges of the belt overlap the particular stepped portions of the central web 11.

In the modilied embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGURES 9 to 20, inclusive, instead of forming la. suspension member 23 integrally with one of the anges 12 and 13 of the main body 10 of the device, in the form of an eyelet or loop, as shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 (and to be broken off therefrom when the device is to be put to its Wardrobe use), the suspension member 23 (in the modified embodiment shown in FIGURES 9 to 20) is a separate generally at C-shaped member, as shown particularly in FIGURE 16, which may be made of sheet metal or plastic or any other suitable form-retaining material or may be made of wire similarly shaped. The suspension member 23, in this modified embodiment of the present invention, includes a lower generally horizontal seat portion 37 and upper hook-engaging portion 33, with an intervening connector-portion 39, which together form a generally C shape, and the lower horizontal belt-seat portion 37 may include a terminal abutment or stop portion 4l? to prevent the belt `from sliding off the free end of the horizontal belt-seat edge 41 ot the lower portion 37. An upwardly extending recess or notch 42 may be pro-vided in the upper hook-engaging portion 38 of the suspension member 23, in which the more or less horizontal hook, rod or bar 24 of any suitable display-stand or display-lixture may nest, in the manner indicated in FIGURES 9, l0 and 11.

The lower horizontal seat-portion 37 of the suspension member 23 may be inserted either into the upper loop or fold 19 of the belt 20, behind the down-turned end of the curved terminal-member 15 of the device (so it is disposed between said downturned end of the belt) or it may be inserted directly into the curved terminal member 15 of the device itself, in the manner indicated in FIGURES 9 and ll. If desired, small notches 43 may be extended laterally into the side-portion 39 and into the stop-portion 40 of the suspension member 23, in the manner indicated particularly in FIGURE 17, in which the lateral edges of the curved terminal member 15 may nest or engage. Likewise, the curved terminal member 15 may also be provided with slight notches or recesses 44 as shown in FIGURE 18, in which the edge of the side portion 39 and the edge of theend portion 49 of the suspension member 23 may nest or engage. v

Reinforcing or stilening ribs 45 may be formed between the central web 11 and the anges 12 and 13. No metal is cut out around the arms 27 but, instead, the arm-portions 27 are merely sheared from the central Web 11 along the lines 46, 47, 48 and 49 with preferably a slight outward offsetting of the metal along the unsheared portion 50 of the arm, in the manner indicated in FIG- URES 12 and 15; with the arm-portions otherwise left in the plane of the central web 11. The arms are then bent outwardly along the nnsheared vertical portions 50 in the manner indicated in FIGURES 19 yand 20, and the device is then mounted on the inside of a door v51 of a wardrobe closet yor on a wall or the like, in the manner indicated in FIGURE 19. In this embodiment the folded or `curved terminal members 14 and 15 are shorter, so that the rear free ends 55 thereof are outside or clear of the screw-holes 31, so that the screws 52 may extend directly from the central web 11 into the door 51 without passing through the folded-over rear portion of the curved terminal members 14 and 15. The -folded or curved terminal members 14 and 15 are of sufficiently small radius that when the device is mounted tor wardrobe use, as shown 1in FIGURES 19 and 20, the edges '53 of the webs 12 and 13 will bear against the face 54 of the door 51 (or other Supporting surface) when the screws 52 are tightened.

The ribs 45 also serve to center the belt in its display condition as indicated in FIGURE 10.

Having shown and described my invention, I claim the following:`

1. A belt-displaying and wardrobe-hanging device formed of sheet-metal, including a central web, a pair of lianges bent transversely of the plane of said central web along the longitudinal edges thereof, a belt-fold seat at each end of said device formed integrally therewith and extending a substantial distance transversely of the plane of said central web, around which belt-fold seats the folds of a buckled belt may be extended for spreading such buckled belt in two taut spans around said seats and generally alongside said central web, and a plurality of successive wardrobe-hanger arm-forming portions cut from said central lweb and lying in a retracted position while said device is used for displaying a buckled belt tautly disposed around said belt-fold seats in the manner aforesaid and being arranged to be bent outwardly generally at a right angle to the plane of said central web when the device is used as a wardrobe-hanging device.

2. A belt-displaying and wardrobe-hanging device formed of sheet-metal, including a central web, a beltfold seat at each end of said device formed integrally therewith, around which belt-fold seats the folds of a buckled belt may be extended for spreading such buckled belt in two taut spans around said seats and generally alongside said central web, a plurality of successive wardrobe-hanger arm-forming portions cut from said central web and lying in a retracted position while said device is used for displaying a buckled belt tautly disposed around said belt-fold seats in the manner aforesaid and being arranged to be bent outwardly generally at a right angle to the plane of said central web when the device is used as a wardrobe-hanging device, and suspension means at one end of said device for pendantly suspending the device from said end thereof in its aforementioned belt-display condition, with a belt disposed thereon in the manner aforesaid, said suspension means including an upper support-engaging portion for suspendingly engaging a stationary support and a lower portion operatively engaging the aforementioned end of said device, and the upper and lower portions of said suspension means being arranged to permit the fold of the belt at the aforementioned end of the device to pass between them.

3. A belt-displaying and Wardrobe-hanging device formed of sheet-metal, including a central web, a pair of anges bent transversely of the plane of said central web along the longitudinal edges thereof, a belt-fold seat at each end of said device formed integrally therewith and extending a substantial distance transversely of the plane of said central web, around which belt-fold seats the folds of a buckled belt may be extended for spreading such buckled belt in two taut spans around said seats and generally alongside said central web, a plurality of successive wardrobe-hanger arm-forming portions cut from said central web and lying in a retracted position while said device is used for displaying a buckled belt tautly disposed around said belt-fold seats in the manner aforesaid and being arranged to be bent outwardly generally at a right angle to the plane of said central web when the device is used as a Wardrobe-hanging device, and suspension means at one end of said device for pendantly suspending the device from its said end thereof in its aforementioned belt-display condition, with a belt disposed thereon in the manner aforesaid, said suspension means including an upper support-engaging portion for suspendingly engaging a stationary support and a lower portion operatively engaging the aforementioned end of said device, and the upper and lower portions of said suspension means being arranged to permit the Afold of the belt at the aforementioned end of the device to pass between them.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,725,116 Walker Aug. 20, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 248,765 Switzerland Mar. 1,l 1948 

